It Always Does
by waitingondelena
Summary: After Caroline is captured and tortured, Stefan realizes just how much he cares about her, and that he can't keep it a secret any longer. One-shot, takes place after 2x13 Daddy Issues.


"Stefan?" Caroline called through the house. "I could really use your help…Stefan I know you're here!"  
>"I'm here."<br>Caroline jumped and placed her hand over her wildly beating heart. "You _scared_ me," she accused without turning around.  
>Stefan smiled, even though she couldn't see it with her back turned to him. "Six months of being a vampire and you still couldn't hear me coming?" he teased.<br>"Well it's not like I was listening," she said crossly, turning around to face him.  
>Stefan cocked his head, studying her. Arms crossed, glare in place, the sweet blonde blue eyed girl, despite her fangs, still couldn't scare a kitten.<br>But Stefan also knew anyone that underestimated her would find himself on the floor holding his groin in agony.  
>"So what's wrong?" Stefan asked. Suddenly a thought occurred and a frown slipped in place. "You didn't have another run in with the werewolves, did you? I swear, if they came anywhere near you—"<br>"Woah," Caroline said, grabbing his arm. "Now before we go ripping the hearts out of puppies—"  
>"Heart ripping is Damon's thing," Stefan said grimly. "For what they did to you their death will be much, much slower."<br>"Ok Killer," Caroline joked. "Let's calm down. Jules and that other guy haven't come anywhere near me. It was Tyler."  
>"Too bad," Stefan shook his head and started for the door. "I was starting to like him."<br>Caroline sped ahead of him, blocking the door and spreading her arms wide. "Tyler didn't hurt me!" she protested.  
>Stefan leaned forward so that his nose was an inch from hers. "Caroline," he breathed.<br>"Move. I told him never to come near you again. I don't care if he licked your feet."  
>"Ok, first, ew," Caroline said, pulling a face. "I just got a pedicure. And second, you don't need to worry, because I actually need you to save Tyler from Damon."<br>Stefan stepped back, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "Usually I don't condone Damon's 'kill-now-talk-later' approach, but I'm willing to make an exception in this case."  
>"Ugh!" Caroline cried. "What is with you? We have to help him!"<br>"Caroline he tried to _hurt you_. Do you have any idea what that means to me?"  
>"Actually, I don't," Caroline stated. "So why don't you enlighten me. What does it mean to you?"<br>Stefan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It means…God Caroline, I don't know what it means."  
>"It must mean something," Caroline said, stepping closer. "Or else why would you care? Where's Elena anyway Stefan? Shouldn't you be worrying about her?"<br>"Damon's got that covered," he muttered.  
>"You know as well as everyone else on the planet that Damon is doing his damndest to not even look at Elena. She needs help more than me."<br>Stefan was growing agitated, pacing back and forth and murmuring under his breath.  
>"Admit it Stefan," Caroline pushed. "You're only concerned about me because I'm Elena's best friend. And now you feel guilty because you couldn't protect me last time and you want to make it up to her. I don't need your help Stefan. Why aren't you helping her?"<br>Stefan seemed to explode, moving so fast that Caroline felt her back pushed up against the wall and all she could see was a pair of rich brown eyes, sparking and flaring at her. She stared, and he stared back, both breathing heavily, his hands placed on either side of her head, their noses inches apart. "Why?" Caroline questioned softly.  
>"Because," Stefan bit out, sounding as if he were in agony. "Because you were the one that got hurt."<br>"I'm a big girl. I've gotten hurt before. Damon, my mom, Matt, Tyler, Mason…"  
>"Stop it! Stop it! I don't want to hear it!"<br>Caroline ignored him and continued. "Hell even Katherine got to take a whack at me. I've been bitten, drained, suffocated, turned. You never cared much."  
>"That was before," he growled.<br>"Before what?"  
>"Before I realized how I felt about you!"<br>"Oh no," Caroline whispered, trying to back away and finding the wall in her way. "No. No, Stefan this can't—no."  
>"Why not?" he asked. "Why can't it? You don't even know how I feel."<br>"I do and we can't," Caroline shook her head. "It would be _wrong_."  
>"Nothing that feels this good can be wrong," Stefan countered. "And if it does, maybe Damon is on to something. Are you even going to ask?"<br>"Ask what?"  
>"How I feel."<br>"Vampire's don't feel," Caroline said weakly, trying her one last resort. It was a bad argument, a weak one, but anything to stop what was going to come anyway, the rush of emotions she felt welling inside her and the warmth radiating from the body practically pressed against hers.  
>"This vampire does. Ask me," he demanded.<br>Another protest, some way to stall, rose to Caroline's lips, but it died the instant she caught the look in Stefan's eyes, the intensity of the gaze she already felt piercing her whenever he normally glanced at her. "Caroline…"  
>"How do you feel?"<br>He pressed his lips to hers, and Caroline forgot everything. She could no longer feel the coat rack digging into her side, or smell the alcohol that practically radiated from the library due to Damon. She couldn't hear the birds outside the window or even focus on the brown eyes that held her captivated, since her own were closed. All she could feel was him, Stefan, and the feeling of complete wholeness, and rightness one simple kiss could give her, something she had never experienced before in her life.  
>And Stefan…Stefan could barely believe it was happening, that he was finally kissing Caroline Forbes. After weeks of watching her laugh and toss those blonde curls back, anything from a pout to a blinding smile to a snarl on her face, he had wanted this. And then she had been taken and tortured and Stefan couldn't believe that it was happening, that he'd never have a chance to kiss her, and it was all his fault anyway for not doing so. But now she was here, in his arms, and she was safe, and nothing could touch her but him. She was all his.<br>Finally he pulled back to look at her. Just watch her. At the way her blue eyes opened and slowly focused again, the fogginess leaving them like clouds being swept off the clear crystal blue of a lake.  
>"We're going to regret this."<br>Stefan smiled ruefully and twirled a piece of her hand around her finger. "Maybe," he agreed. "But it will turn out right, in the end. It always does."


End file.
